As we started along the rock, I glanced back over my shoulder to find the line of dragons had disappeared. I faltered minutely. What the … how could twenty or more massive lizards just fade out? With that level of mad skills, dragons could literally take over the world if they had the numbers.

Which is exactly what the king knew when he created the marked.

My hand was in Braxton’s now, his thumb rubbing up and down the pad, the motion soothing. It reminded me of the millions of times he had calmed away my worries and hurts. I tilted my head up to him and he knew without any words what I wanted. He dropped the briefest of kisses onto my lips. Soft, with just the flick of tongue, it had me groaning very low under my breath. He would be the death of me, but shit, what a way to go.

His grin was perfect as he pulled away, all dimples and flashing white teeth. He looked happy, which I was coming to realize made me pretty happy too. Yeah, I was a sap.

In no time we reached the end of the path, the yellow barrier sparkling in the dimness. It felt like a thousand years ago that I ran out of the car and threw myself into this mountain. So much had happened, and yet it was really no time at all.

Quale stepped closer to the exit. “Are you all ready? You must move through quickly so I can return the protections. The Four are out there, and should they make it inside, they’ll be too strong for us to battle.”

The fruit twins scowled simultaneously at the mention of the hunter quads. If they’d all been born the same year, then no doubt they’d crossed paths with them many times, especially since they were marked, and those damn hunters were good at their jobs. I wondered who had hunted the marked before they were born, and how the twins had remained free, unlike so many other marked.

Questions for another day.

Quale muttered a few words and the barrier dropped. Wind howled. The real world appeared to be having a snowstorm of the ass-kicking variety. Awesome. The sanctuary was like being in another realm, one completely controlled by magic, right down to the weather. The seven of us stepped free, leaving the mystic behind. I noticed the brothers exchange a glance before the yellow shield was back up, blocking Quale from view.

I hugged my arms to my body, and shimmied closer to Braxton. The warmth of his body was like stepping into a hot bath. Without saying anything he wrapped his arms around me.

“Come on.” Louis had to shout to be heard over the temperamental weather, even with supernatural senses. Peering around Braxton’s bulk – although not removing myself from his arms because I wasn’t an idiot – I could see that Louis had the step-through already open.